British Construction Industry Awards (Building Award)

Honda is delighted to have won the Building Award last night at the prestigious British Construction Industry Awards (http://www.bciawards.org.uk /). Honda was chosen from 60 construction projects and views this award as recognition of a huge team effort involving all parts of the supply chain. It is also recognition of the significant advancement in construction performance as compared to a decade earlier, when the first Swindon Plant was completed. In fact Honda’s own post project review measured a 40% financial improvement and a 25% improvement in energy efficiency.

Honda is delighted to receive the award on behalf of all the organisations that contributed to the success of the project. Particular mention goes to the American designers (SSOE) and to the Canadian Construction Managers (Vanbots). Vanbots helped to manage almost 100 trade contract packages, the majority of which were UK based. The success of the project was largely down to a truly global "integrated team" in which UK trade contractors are to be congratulated on their high levels of performance.

Paul Roberts, Senior Manager who had construction and installation responsibility for the Project within Honda commented: "Honda sought to establish an integrated team approach at all stages of the project. Indeed Honda was aware that the only way the project would be successful is if everyone bought into the ‘one team one goal’ philosophy. The management of the project was structured to provide both flexibility to the Client and a ‘non-adversarial’ climate. There were innovative and proactive methods used to achieve this ‘team culture’ which ranged from the use of fair contracts with ‘early warning’ procedures to the use of smart boards at meetings to ensure high visibility and no hidden agendas."

Mike McEnaney, Director of Business Administration at Honda, commented that "The success of the overall project is great and it was extremely rewarding to see the application of some of the management principles used in Car Manufacturing used far down the supply chain with the ‘one team one goal’ philosophy adopted, which meant that there were benefits achieved for all organisations involved in the project."

Keith Gillam (Chairman and CEO of Vanbots) said: "The project ethos comprised a culture of openness and transparency in which problems and issues were not held back but rather they were managed in a pro active manner as soon as they became visible. Risks were placed with the organisation best able to manage the risk. There was effective communication at all levels."

Tony Damon of (CEO of SSOE, USA) stated: "What sets Honda apart is their understanding of what it takes to build a true project team (i.e. have a vision; select the right team; involve the team in the planning (strategy); receive commitment from the team members; communicate the vision and goals to all involved (drive it down); treat the team members professionally and fairly."